Assistant Service Manager - Specialist Unit

Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Foundation Trust; Park Hall; On-site; GBP 30,000 - 40,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading NHS orthopaedic hospital seeks an Assistant Service Manager to support the Rheumatology and Specialist Unit. Responsibilities include overseeing operations, managing staff, and ensuring the achievement of performance targets. Candidates should possess relevant experience and strong analytical skills, with a focus on delivering high-quality patient services. The position offers an opportunity for professional growth in a supportive environment.

Benefits

Professional development opportunities

Staff benefits package

Qualifications

• Experience supervising staff.
• Experience of service improvement and demand & capacity planning.
• Knowledge of NHS targets and operational management.

Responsibilities

• Manage daily operations and monitor key performance indicators.
• Support the Service Manager with governance issues.
• Lead staff to achieve performance standards.

Skills

Teamwork

Project management

Data analysis

Communication

Education

Degree-level education or equivalent experience

Tools

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Excel

Microsoft PowerPoint

Job description

Assistant Service Manager - Specialist Unit

The closing date is 07 November 2025

We are recruiting an Assistant Service Manager into our specialist unit. The successful candidate will be required to support the Service Manager for Rheumatology, Metabolic Medicine, DEXA and the wider team in the delivery of performance and business objectives.

The post holder will have specific operational and staff management responsibilities, including quality, patient access, activity and financial targets, and will be required to undertake project management and / or implementation, as directed.

Pay banding subject to Agenda for Change evaluation

Under current Home Office Immigration Rules, this role does not meet the UK Visas and Immigration criteria and the position is not therefore eligible for sponsorship. Applications from candidates that require skilled worker sponsorship will NOT be shortlisted.

Main duties of the job

The successful candidate will be responsible for the day-to-day operational management of the unit supporting and monitoring of the delivery of all relevant key performance indicators, objectives and targets within the unit. This is inclusive of demand and capacity management, Consultant support processes and all required administration, reporting and staff management (as relevant for each individual area).

About us

The Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic NHS Trust (RJAH) is one of the leading orthopaedic hospitals in the country, with some of the highest levels of staff and patient satisfaction, as well as a strong reputation for research and innovation.

Joining RJAH is more than just a job - we want our people to have the best opportunities to thrive in their role. We have a range of fantastic staff benefits on offer to everyone who joins RJAH and you'll have access to outstanding professional development opportunities and state-of-the-art facilities - including our recently-opened £6 million Headley Court Veterans' Orthopaedic Centre (the first unit of its kind in the UK). RJAH has strong links with a range of universities including Staffordshire, Keele, Glyndwr, Chester and Birmingham. The hospital is located on a site outside Oswestry in Oswestry, just off the A5. The nearest train station is in Gobowen, approximately two miles from the hospital. The station is part of the Chester to Birmingham line. We are based in North Shropshire, close to the border with North and Mid Wales. It is one of the most attractive parts of the country, with a rich historic culture and excellent transport links. It offers outstanding opportunities for anyone who enjoys an outdoor lifestyle or is looking to raise a family.

Job responsibilities

• Provide project-based support relating to the Specialty/ Unit flexing as required to meet the needs of the Local Health Economy and as directed by the Trust Objectives.
• To support and monitor the delivery of all relevant Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).
• To continuously evaluate and analyse current process performance, identifying opportunities for improvement and in conjunction with the appropriate administrative team colleagues, agree and implement those improvements to generate the identified quality, cost and delivery performance improvements. To include
• Monitoring and delivery of English and Welsh waiting time targets
• Follow up pathways.
• Management of Trust long waiting patients ensuring appropriate measures are taken ensure patients are treated in a timely manner.
• Overall patient pathway support for the Specialities / Unit escalating any issues as appropriate to relevant Service Manager.
• To ensure that the day to day and week to week short term capacity and demand management processes are adhered to within the Specialties and all appropriate actions are taken in a timely manner to achieve the identified quality, cost and delivery performance targets.
• In liaison with the Booking and secretarial teams to ensure outpatient clinic capacity is used effectively and backfilled wherever possible to maximise utilisation.
• To support the Service Manager with any Governance issues relating to the Specialties / Unit as appropriate to include investigations arising from Datix and any action plans associated with items on the Risk Register.
• The post holders will co-ordinate the collection, analysis, validation and presentation of appropriate quantitive and qualitative data to ensure efficient and effective patient services within the Unit.
• To continuously analyse the capacity and demand performance of the Specialities, promoting and developing links with the Information Department and in liaison with the appointed Service Manager plan and take appropriate actions to enable the achievement of the identified quality, cost and delivery performance targets.
• To be responsible for the line management of appropriate staff within the Unit including the recruitment process, attendance management and annual leave process.
• Provide effective leadership and management to staff which promotes high performance standards both individually and as a team, in the achievement of the Trusts objectives and priorities. The Trusts success will be dependent on all managers playing an active role to make sure the existing areas of good employment practice are universally embedded within the organisation.

Please see job description for more detail.

Person Specification

Experience

• Experience of supervising staff.
• Experience of working effectively within a team environment.
• Experience working within an administrative environment.
• Experience of service improvement, waiting list management and demand & capacity planning
• Proven performance management of services and delivery of targets within set timescales.

Knowledge (including specialist or technical knowledge required)

• Knowledge of NHS targets specifically RTT
• Operational management with working knowledge of KPI delivery and able to analyse, interpret and present information.
• Effective use of Microsoft applications (word, excel, powerpoint)
• Understanding of NHS Performance systems
• Knowledge of NHS Patient Administration Systems (PAS)

Skills and Competencies

• Ability to work under pressure within a multidisciplinary team-based working environment
• Ability to develop and communicate good working relations

Qualifications

• Educated to degree level or possessing equivalent experience
• Knowledge of governance issues

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Employer name

Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

Address

The Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital

The Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital